Though James "Jay" Gelter started teaching and directing at NEYT summer camps in 2006, he did not appear on the NEYT stage until he played Tom Wingfield in "The Glass Menegrie" in 2008.

Jay teaches classes regularly at NEYT and serves on the Alumni board. He has been involved in the alumni productions of "Murdered to Death", "Original Works" 2010, and "Cyrano de Bergerac".

Jay is also active in the Brattleboro theater community through the Vermont Theatre Company, a Vice-President of their board as well as an actor and director, most notably directing the 2011 Shakespeare-in-the-Park, "Much Ado About Nothing".